A German Shepherd puppy can rarely be confused with another breed. And nevertheless, you need to know the external signs that you should pay attention to when choosing in the first place.
Instructions
Step 1
Muzzle and torso
The nose of a German Shepherd puppy is wet and shiny. It can be warm or cold to the touch. During sleep, the puppy's nose is always dry and hot. But within 10 minutes after waking up, the nose becomes wet again. Take a closer look at the puppy's face: it should not be sharp. The bite of a shepherd puppy is only scissor-shaped.
Step 2
The back should be straight and not sagging, and the neck should be moderately long and strong. If the puppy looks like a small fat bear cub, then there is a better chance that he will grow up healthy, big and strong. But if the puppy looks more like a miniature adult, then most likely it will grow small, which is unacceptable for this breed. The puppy's skin is loose: there are no folds on the body. All mucous areas in the puppy are pink.
Step 3
Coat color
The color of the puppy is very dark only on the back and head. He often gives the impression of a black cloak and mask. The puppy's paws are usually light: brown, beige, red-brown. But for a healthy puppy too light color is not typical. Black and brown are traditional colors. However, the color can also be gray. It is not very popular. Sheepdogs with a gray color are bred only by true admirers. A German Shepherd puppy may have small white or yellow markings on the chest. With a weak pigment in the coat, the puppy has light claws, a red tip of the tail, very light eyes, and there is no mask on the face. The length of the puppy's coat should be short. At the same time, the fur is necessarily shiny.
Step 4
Eyes, limbs and ears
The puppy's eyes should be clean and free of purulent discharge. Look closely at the front legs of the puppy: they should be straight when viewed from either side and parallel to each other. The puppy's paws are round and well-knit; the pads on them should be firm. The nails are necessarily strong and dark in color. The hind legs are slightly set back, parallel to each other when viewed from behind. A healthy puppy's tail has no bumps or kinks. When probing the base of the ears, there should be no unpleasant odor: this is a sign of otitis media. The eyes of a month old puppy may be bluish, but then they turn brown. Up to 3, 5 months, the ears of a German Shepherd puppy should not have clearly erect tips. This is a sign of a violation of phosphorus-potassium metabolism.
Step 5
Behavior
It often happens that puppies in the same litter look exactly the same. Although a uniform litter is a good indicator, choosing one puppy is difficult to make. First of all, pay attention to the behavior of the babies. The puppy who is most active in eating and playing is the healthiest one. Try to call the puppy, the one who comes running first is the leader in the litter.
